Are these the next ‘Twilight’ names?

It often feels like Twilight made a huge impact on the naming scene. Isabella and Jacob may have been top ten names before the first book was published, but the series possibly enabled them to hold onto their top positions longer than they may have otherwise. And while Edward seems to be the one anomaly that didn’t benefit from the resurgence in attention, the secondary characters in the series certainly did.

As soon as the final movie was released, critics started theorizing on what will be the next big sensation. And Nameberries have been wondering what might replace Twilight for naming inspiration.

One promising contender is VeronicaRoth‘s Divergent trilogy. The first two books are Divergent and Insurgent, soon to be joined by the final book Allegiant later this year. Filming of the first movie also started earlier this year, starring Shailene Woodley (of GeorgeClooneyOscar winner The Descendants) and KateWinslet. But perhaps more importantly, it feels that in many ways the author has managed to tap into a naming style that may prove to be just as inspirational as StephenieMeyer‘s.

The books are told in the voice of Beatrice “Tris” Prior. As the series is very much about how the characters identify themselves, it’s a poignant moment when Beatrice leaves one life behind her and chooses to “remake” her life with the name Tris.

There are several ways in which this name and character are reminiscent of Isabella.

Tobias is another fantastic classic choice with a familiar nickname, however has been hovering on the charts around the low 500’s for a few years now. Exposure from this series may be just the boost this name needs to gain some upward momentum.

Tobias is Beatrice‘s love interest, and like BeatriceTobias has turned his back on his old life and is better known by the nickname Four (for reasons unrelated to his name). In fact, very few people in his life know his original name, and revealing his “real” name to Tris signifies the depth of his feelings for her. In many ways, this is a strong character that will likely appeal to many.

Alice, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Cullen – and even Renesmee – have all experienced a surge in popularity in recent years thanks to Twilight. Luckily, the Divergent supporting characters are also rich with options for parents looking for underused classics begging to be rediscovered.